Commutator brush



H. W. MUHLEISEN Dec. 15 1925- C OMMUTATOR BRUS H Fi led Jan. 11, 1923 Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES rATEr 1,5t5,ttt

COMMUTATOR BRUSH.

Application filed January 11, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY WV. MUHLEI- SEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have in vented new and useful Improvements in Commutator Brushes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to and has for an object the provision of an improved type of commutator brush such as is adapted to be employed in connection with a commutator timing device for an internal combustion engine.

Another object is to provide a simple, effective and self-adjusting brush for the purpose described, which is capable of being readily assembled and dis-assembled for any purpose, and is particularly adapted to use in connection with a commutator of the type used on Ford automobiles.

A further object is to provide a commutator brush including an integral body member and a roller adapted to be frictionally held in contact with the commutator seg ments, whereby proper contact may be maintained at all times during the operation thereof.

Other detailed objects of invention will appear as the description progresses.

I have illustrated one practical embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of a commutator of well known design, partly in section and showing my improved brush operatively connected therewith.

Fig. 2 is a view of the open end of the commutator.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the commutator brush assembled.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the same.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the brush support.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the spring for holding the brush in contact with the commutator segments; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the spring compressing members shown in Fig. 4.

As shown in said drawings, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, that the type of commutator illustrated in the drawings embodies a sheet metal case C having an annular wall 1, and adapted to be supported on. or in proximity to an inn Serial No. 612,101.

ternal combustion motor and connected therewith. The annular wall 1 has a ring it of insulating material suitably attached to the wall 1 of the case 0, and a plurality of will be substantially flush with the inner face of said ring.

The segments S correspond in number to the number of cylinders in a motor, and are regularly spaced apart as shown. The segments S have terminals t, 6, etc., which extend through the ring R, the wall 1, and insulating buttons 7), 7), etc., on the external periphery of the wall 1, and each of said terminals is provided externally of the buttons b, with a pair ofnuts n, a, and a washer W by means of which the wires from the spark plugs to each of the cylinders may be connected with the respective terminals 2,.

Now, a timing device of the character shown includes a rotatable shaft T, which is operably connected with the motor by suitable means and is axially alined with the case C. One end of the shaft T projects into the case C and T mount my improved brush B thereon for use, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The brush B includes an integral body member having a sleeve 3, and a pair of arms a, a, bent outwardly from the sleeve 3, spaced apart and paralleling each other, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The adjacent edges on the arms a, a, are tapered outwardly from the sleeve 3, as at 4, 4, to a point almost, but not quite, to the ends 6, e, of the arms, and said ends are tapered inwardly as at 5, 5, so that the space between the arms 2, 2, will be substantially wider at the junction of the edges 5 and 4 of each of the arms than at the point nearest the sleeve 3. v

The brush B consists of a roller of a width corresponding to the minimum distance between the arms a, a, which is loosely mounted on a supporting member M, as shown in Fig. 5. Said member M has a bore 6 extending therethrough, and the end portions thereof have diametrically opposite slots 7, 7, of a width corresponding to and adapted to receive the outer portions of the arms a, a. A coiled spring 8 is held within the bore 6 of member M between a pair of compression members 9, 9, as shown in Fig. 110

7 which have stems 10 and heads ,11, and the heads of said members are slidably held within the bore 6, while the stems 10 thereof extend slightly into the opposite ends of the spring 8.

hen the brush is assembled. the heads 11 of the members 9, 9 frictionally engage the diagonal edges l, 4, of the arms a, a, and the tension of the spring 8 serves to hold the brush roller B in its outermost position on the arms a, a, of the body When the brush shown and described. is mounted within the c se C for contact with the com mutator ring R and segments S, the brush B. is moved inwardly so as to clear the inner periphery of the ring R and segments S, and then released, whereupon the tension of the spring 8 will cause the roller to move outwardly on the arms a, (5, until the periphery of the brush contacts firmly out resiliently with the inner periphery of the ring R and segments S.

The body B is attached to the shaft T by means of a slot 12 formed in one end of the body and adapted to receive a pin 13 extended outwardly from shaft T, so that when the shaft is rotated the brush B will engage and make electrical contact with the segments S, S, etc, in regular order as the shaft T is rotated within the case C, thus completing the circuit of the spark plugs of each of the cylinders in the motor in regular order.

It will be noted that the spring 8 when employed as shown and described, not only serves to. resiliently hold the brush i) in contact with the ring R, but also to hold all of the parts in assembled relation. The brush B may be removed from the body B by compressing the spring 8 to such an eX- tent that the heads 11, 11 of the members 9, 9 will clear the innermost edges of the ends 6, e of the arms a, a.

In practice the brush B should be of slightly greater width than the segments S, and it will be readily apparent that any longitudinal n'iovement of tl body B on the shaft T will not serve to displace or disconnect the brush B relative to the segment. By making the brushes B of sufficient length, my improved commutator brush. may also. be used in connection with othertypes of timing devices in which the rings Rv are of greater or less width than shown.

Other advantages will readily appear to those familiar with the use of timing devices of this charatcer, and. it will be understood that I may modify my invention from the form shown and described without departing from the spirit thereof or enlarging the scope beyond that of the appended claims.

What I claim. is

1., A commutator brush comprising a hub portion having parallel and, radially disposed arms extended therefrom and spaced apart, a hollow supporting member yield.-

ably held on the outer portions of said arms and paralleling the axis of said hub, a roller rotatably mounted on said supporting member, and means internally of said supporting member and engaging said arms for resiliently holding said roller outwardly from said hub.

2. A commutator brush comprising an integral body having a sleeve formed thereon for attachment to a driving shaft, and a pair of arms radially extended from said sleeve and spaced apart, the adjacent edges of said arms being correspondingly tapered outwardly in opposite directions, a supporting member slidably held in the ends of said arms, a roller rotatably held on said supporting member between said arms, and means within said supporting member and engaging the tapered edges of said arms for resiliently holding said roller outwardly from said sleeve.

3'. A commutator brush. comprising an integral body having a sleeve formed there on for attachment to a driving shaft, and a pair of arms radially extended from said sleeve and spaced apart, the adjacent edges of said arms being correspondingly tapered outwardly in opposite directions, a supporting member slidably held in the ends of said arms, a roller rotatably held on said supporting member between said arms, and means within said supporting member andengaging the tapered edges of said arms for resiliently holding said roller outwardly from said sleeve, said arms having end portions for limiting the outward movement of said roller.

4. A commutator brush comprising a body having a hub adapted for attachment to a driving shaft, and a pair of spaced arms outwardly extended therefrom, said arms having recesses formed in the adjacent edges thereof whereby the space between said edges is gradually increased outwardly from said sleeve, a supporting member held in the ends on the outer portions of said arms and paralleling said sleeve, a roller on said supporting member between. said arms, and means carried by said supporting member and engaging the adjacent edges of said arm for resiliently holding said supporting member and said rollers outwardly from said sleeve,

5. A commutator brush comprising a body having a hub portion and a pair of spaced arms extended outwardly therefrom, a hollow shaft slotted at the ends for receiving said arms, a roller on said shaft between said arms, the adjacent edges of said arms being tapered outwardly from said sleeve to a point near the ends thereof, a spring in the bore of said shaft, a pair of compressing members in the ends of said spring and engaging the adjacent edges of said arms, whereby the tension of said spring will yieldably hold said roller outwardly from said hub.

6. A commutator brush comprising a body having a hub portion and a pair of spaced arms extended outwardly therefrom, a hollow shaft slotted at the ends for receiving said arms, a roller on said shaft between said arms, the adjacent edges of said arms being tapered outwardly from said sleeve 1 to a point near the ends thereof, a spring in the bore of said shaft, a pair of compressing members in the ends of said spring and engaging the adjacent edges of said arms whereby the tension of said spring will yieldably hold said roller outwardly from said hub, the ends of said arms being provided with inwardly extended projections for limiting the outward movement of said roller.

HENRY W. MUHLEISEN. 

